5 Online Dating Mistakes To Avoid

A number of behaviors get to be deal breakers for people who meet online. Sometimes the sparkle just isn’t there, but most of the times it’s about how we behave online that drives potential dates away.

Are any of the following mistakes you made at some point with your online match? Or, conversely, did you have these happen to you? Check out our list below.

Set a picture you could share with your real life friends too

If you would be embarrassed by your friends discovering your online dating profile photos, then it’s probably a bad idea to post them altogether. For a list of specific tips of how to set your online dating profile photo, check out our recent blog post.

Got it? Great! Let’s move on to the next thing you need to avoid when interacting with a potential match on your online dating profile.

Don’t beat around the bush

Both when writing your About Me section and when you get in touch with a potential date, try being straight-forward. Make sure you say exactly what you are looking for, regardless of whether it’s a long term relationship or merely a one night stand or friend with benefits.

Not disclosing your intention from the head start may lead to drama later on, and misunderstandings like that end up being hurtful for both you and your match.

Take rejection graciously

It may be hard at first. No one likes to be ignored or downright rejected by anyone, but especially by a guy or girl they fancy. But the online dating world can be cruel like that. Remember how we said it was important to speak openly? Well, that’s what makes online dating so effective – the possibility of browsing through multiple potential dates at a quick pace. This is a luxury that we can’t afford with people we meet at the bar or other places where people hookup face to face.

So it’s natural to feel slightly offended or saddened by a rejection. However, if there is no sparkle or sign of interest from the guy or girl you found attractive online, there’s no way you can change that. And cursing at them or being impolite in any way has absolutely zero benefits.

Learn to say no, and do it politely

The reverse goes too. While learning not to take rejection as a personal offense, it’s also important to learn how to let someone down easy. Online and otherwise, if you aren’t attracted by a person who’s showing interest in you, it’s important to say no. Having someone sending you messages when you’re not particularly excited to talk to them is hard to bear.

Rejecting a potential partner is well within your rights and by no means makes you a bad person. It would be mean, however, to not mind the other’s feelings. Try being direct in saying you are not interested in hooking up or starting a relationship.

Don’t speak only about yourself

Avoid using phrases such as “I’m the kind of person that [does this and that].” It’s nice that you’re a perfectionist, that you have a strong moral compass, or that you hold your promises. But going on and on about your life principles, however true they may be, makes you a bragger. Give your match the chance to discover your traits as it goes along without worrying she’s met a self-centered person.